


Summertime Feelin'

by gracedameron, WritingToKeepMySanity



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: (because let's be real it's Disney and Grace), (do you expect NO angst?), Collaboration, F/M, Fluff, Foster kid Bee, Gen, Kelly Kids, M/M, Some angst, Summer Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-05-13 04:36:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14742107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gracedameron/pseuds/gracedameron, https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingToKeepMySanity/pseuds/WritingToKeepMySanity
Summary: Summer's here for the Kellys and the Higgins-Conlons, bringing with it sun, fun, and science projects that go awry.But an unexpected dark cloud looms over the horizon, threatening to put a damper on their summer fun.





	1. Summer Sun, Something's Begun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer begins. With it, activities in the city and an out-of-state job offer.

Jack wasn’t sure why it didn’t occur to him sooner—he blamed the onslaught of projects his boss suddenly dropped in his lap.

That afternoon had been normal, he met Race out in front of the kids’ school and talked until the bell rang and kids flooded out of the building.

Pete, Corey, Lucy, and Brooklyn had been excited, talking about their last week of school, but it didn’t sink in until that night, when Katherine pulled out a planner and brochures she’d received in the mail.

“What’cha workin’ on, there, Ace?” he asked, pushing aside Pete’s jacket he’d left on the couch.

She adjusted her reading glasses, writing in one of the boxes. “Putting the summer calendar together. High Line’s has something on Wednesdays this summer, I think the kids will—”

“Summer calendar?” Jack perked up, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Ya know what that means?”

“You start calling Race your boyfriend again?” Katherine deadpanned without looking up from her planner.

“I start callin’ Racer m’boyfriend again!” he cackled, dropping his head on the couch next to her.

Katherine kicked at his leg, rolling her eyes. “Yes, Jack, summer is here and your summer romance with Race can start now.”

“Aw, Kath, don’t be jealous, ya know you’re still m’favorite,” he said, kissing her cheek.

Scrunching her nose at that, Katherine knocked his head with hers. “Go on, text him.”

“You’re the best…” Jack kissed her again.

“I know. It’s _so_ hard being this perfect.”

_Jackie: TONY_

_Racer: JACK_

_Jackie: Kath’s got the Calendar out… you know what that means?_

_Racer: :O_

_Racer: u mean…?_

_Jackie: MUSEUM DATE TWO WEEKS YOU ME AND THE KIDS_

_Racer: oh hELL YEAH_

_Racer: REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD_

Laughing at the string of heart-eye emojis Jack sent, Race tossed his phone on the bed as he went into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Spot glanced down at the phone as it landed by his hip, rolling his eyes at the emojis on the screen. “You an’ Jackie gettin’ ready for summer, then?”

“Aw, Spotty, are ya jealous?” Race teased, sticking his toothbrush in his mouth. “‘Oo ‘ow, i’s jus’a ‘umma-ing, ‘ot, it don’ mean ‘othing.”

Rolling his eyes again, Spot set aside his iPad. “Ya saw your ‘summer fling’ this afternoon, Racer.”

“‘Ut ‘ow i’s _umma_ , ‘ot!” Race protested, before spitting. “It’s _different_. _We’re_ different.”

“Oh, god,” Spot muttered under his breath, even as a smile played at the corners of his mouth. Race and Jack got ridiculous every summer. With taking the kids to different places the last couple of years, and their wedding bands, too many people mistook them for a couple. After the first six times, they just rolled with it, calling it their “summer romance”

“Can ya forget your summer fling for a minute an’ come in here?”

Race reentered the room. “‘Course,” he said, throwing himself on the bed next to Spot dramatically, lying in what Spot assumed he thought was a seductive manner. “Summer’s not ‘til next week, t’night ‘m _all_ yours.”

Spot shook his head at his husband’s antics. “Act’ally, I gotta talk ta ya ‘bout somethin’. Somethin’ pretty big.”

Sitting up, Race’s brow furrowed at Spot’s suddenly serious tone. “What’s up, Spotty?”

 

*~*~*~*~*

 

Two weeks later,  Jack and Race had mostly settled into their new normal. Jack cut back his time at the office, going in twice a week, when Katherine had her days off, and Race didn't teach as much, only going into the studio to take Brooklyn to class, or when Albert needed a class covered. 

Most days, however, they spent chasing their kids around, trying to keep them entertained with crafts and worksheets and dance classes, shuffling the kids back and forth between Spot and Race's apartment in Brooklyn and the Kelly household in Staten Island.

About once a week, however, Kath had found something for them to do in the city, a display at the museum, or a show at the planetarium, that Jack and Race took the kids to together.

“Uncle Charliiiieeee!” Lucy managed to wait until Crutchie had stopped before she flew at him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Jack and Race had taken the kids to Central Park after their morning to at the museum to burn off the rest of their energy, and Crutchie was able to meet them on his lunch break.

He grunted a bit at the sudden impact, but grinned down at his niece.”Heya, Luce! How are ya?”

“‘m good, Uncle Charlie!” she said, letting go of him and moving towards Bella, the service dog he’d gotten once he started living alone.

“Ah, Lucy?” Jack stopped her. “Whadda we ask Uncle Charlie ‘fore we play with Bella?”

Her brow furrowed a moment before she brightened again. Turning back to Crutchie, she asked, “Uncle Charlie, is Bella workin’ or c’n she play?”

Crutchie laughed a bit at that and said, “She can play in jus’ a sec, Luce, jus’ let me get set down over there by Racer, alright?”

Brooklyn bounded over just as Crutchie lowered himself next to Race on the ground and taken Bella’s harness off, Pete and Corey on her heels.

“Hi, Uncle Charlie!” she chirped as Corey latched his arms around Crutchie’s neck from behind, causing them to both tilt sideways.

“Whoa!” Crutchie laughed. “Hi Bee! Say, couldja check m’ back for me? Feels like I gotta monkey back there.”

“Uncle _Charlie_!” Corey cried indignantly. “‘m not a _monkey_!”

“Well, lookit that!” Crutchie blinked in mock surprise, twisting to see Corey better. “Not a monkey at all—you’s Corey Kelly, ain’t’cha?”

Corey nodded, cackling and tightening his arms slightly, and Crutchie winced.

“Alright kid, let ‘im breathe,” Jack chided gently. “Uncle Charlie said ya could play with Bella ‘til he’s gotta go back ta work.”

Letting go of Crutchie so abruptly he almost fell over, Corey wheeled around to stand in front of Crutchie.

“C’n we, Uncle Charlie?”

Holding up the back he’d had slipped over the bar of his crutch, Crutchie said, “‘Course ya can. Got her toys an’ stuff in here.”

Corey took the bag, only for Pete to grab one of the handles and start rifling through it himself.

Bella, who was patiently sitting as Lucy and Brooklyn were petting her and cooing, perked up as Pete held a stuffed duck over his head, squeezing it so it squeaked.

“Go get the duck, Bella!” he yelled, hurling it. Bella tore after it, the kids chasing her to start a game of keep-away.

Jack sighed as he leaned back on his hands, watching them a moment before saying, “Thanks, Crutch. That oughta wear ‘em out ‘fore quiet time.”

“Quiet time?”

“Can’t call it ‘nap time’,” Jack said, rolling his eyes. “Pete an’ Corey don’t really need naps anymore, but Luce hates callin’ it that.”

“Brookie don’t like it either,” Race said, picking at the grass next to his leg. “Though she ends up fallin’ asleep half the time.” Brushing his hands off, he added, “I just hope she an’ Core don’t fall asleep in the sandbox again.”

Crutchie laughed. “Did they really?”

Jack nodded, laughing as well. “Don’t know how they do it—they can fall asleep anywhere. Pete had Corey half-covered ‘fore he woke up.”

“Don’t know ‘bout Bee, but Corey? That’s all you, Jackie,” Crutchie said.

“What’re ya talkin’ ‘bout?”

“Jack, eight months afta’ we moved in wit’ Medda, ya fell asleep on the washing machine.”

“Pfft,” Jack made a face. “It was the dryer, an’ that was one time.”

Crutchie cocked an eyebrow. “ _One_? What about the time in college when ya fell asleep on top of the counter in the kitchen? Or that time on top’a _Davey’s_ desk. Not yours. Davey’s. Racer, back me up.”

Jack and Crutchie turned to Race, who was still picking at the grass, not paying attention. “Race? Ya okay?”

Race looked up, startled to see Jack and Crutchie watching him expectantly. “Hmm?”

“Ya with us, Tony?” Crutchie asked, his face tightening with worry.

Shaking his head, Race shrugged a little. “S’nothin’. Jus’…” he shook his head again.

Jack sat up. “Whassup, kid?”

Letting out a gusty breath, Race said, “Spotty got a job offer, from someone he useta work with. Better pay, prob’ly better hours. They even said they’d make ‘im a partner.”

“‘Ay, that’s great!” Race didn’t look so sure. “…Isn’t it?” Jack asked cautiously.

Race tugged at the strap of his Chaco. “It’s in Boston.”

“Boston?” Jack snorted. “Well, did he at least let the guy down nicely?”

“Let... let ‘im down?” Race asked.

Jack shrugged. “Spotty’s Brooklyn, born an’ bred, no way he’s movin’ outta New York.”

“He’s... considerin’ it.”

“What?!” Jack and Crutchie sat up, dumbfounded.

“Seriously?” Crutchie asked.

Race shrugged. “He says he’s seri’sly considerin’ it, might even go down one weekend to see the place.”

Crutchie shook his head. “Nah, Racer, he can’t be serious—“

“He is,” Race said, not looking too happy about it. “An’ we ain’t told Bee yet, haven’t told anyone, so ‘m expectin’ ya ta keep ya traps shut, alright?” Jack opened his mouth to question Race, who waved a hand. “Yeah, Jack, you can tell Kath. But ya can’t tell no one else, alright?”

“Tell no one what, Papa?”

The three men jumped at Brooklyn’s voice, turning to see the girl herself standing next to them, unnoticed, tilting her head at them.

“Jus’... borin’, grownup stuff, Baby Bee,” Race said quickly. “What’cha need, sweetheart?”

Brooklyn pouted, flipping her dark blonde hair off her shoulders. "M'hair keeps gettin' in my face, Papa. Can you fix it?"

"Lemme see..." Race leaned back and stuck his hand in one of the pockets of his cargo shorts, pulling out two hair hair bands. "Alright, are puffs okay?"

"Yeah!" Brooklyn plopped down in front of Race and patiently sat as he carefully parted her thick, curly hair into two pieces to tie back.

Jack and Crutchie exchanged a look before Jack finally asked carefully, “So, Race... how d’ya feel ‘bout… all that?”

Race shot him a warning look over Brooklyn’s head, a reminder to tread lightly. “It’s… surpisin’,” he said. “Haven’t totally wrapped m’head ‘round it.”

His voice held a note of finality they heard rarely from Racetrack Higgins, and Jack and Crutchie exchanged another glance, silently agreeing to drop it.

“Well, I betta’ be headin’ back ta work,” Crutchie said, shifting to pick up his crutches. “Think ya can get the kids ta let m’dog go?” he asked Jack.

Jack clapped him on the shoulder. "'Course, kid."

"There ya go, Bee, how's that?" Race asked.

Brooklyn reached back and patted the puffs on either side of her head. "Good! Thank you, Papa!"

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Now c’n ya go tell Uncle Jackie's hooligans that Bella’s gotta go back ta work now an’ ta pick up her toys?”

Brooklyn giggled at that, hopping to her feet. “Yup!” she said, running off towards the other kids, yelling about how it was time for Bella to go to work.

Jack stood, turning to help Crutchie up. “Whaddaya say, Racer? Wanna split up now, or you an’ Bee wanna come over for lunch?”

Tucking his hands behind his head, Race rolled backwards in a somersault to stand. “Nah, me an’ Bee’ll head home now. Thanks Jackie.”

Jack didn’t push, though he wanted to, and instead helped Crutchie hook on Bella’s harness once the kids let her come back. After a—somewhat dramatic, on Lucy’s part—goodbye, they split up, Jack taking his kids home, Crutchie and Bella going back to work, and Race and Bee heading to the subway.

Race knew he’d worried Jack and Crutchie, bringing up Spot’s job offer, but it’d been sitting on his chest for over a week, tight and heavy. He thought sharing it would loosen the knot.

It hadn’t.

He wanted to be happy for his husband. It _was_ a great deal; Spot’d been working at the firm for years and never gotten anywhere near what Jordan had offered him.

But…

New York was home. _Brooklyn_ was home (the city, though the same could be said about their daughter). Boston wasn’t as far away as it felt, Race knew, but even three hours felt ages away.

“Papa! What’re we havin’ for lunch?” Brooklyn’s voice broke him out of his thoughts, and Race looked down at his daughter, skipping next to him, swinging their hands.

Pulling an exaggerated thoughtful face, Race said, “I dunno, _mimma_. Whaddya think sounds good?”

Stopping at the corner to wait for the light to change, Brooklyn tapped a finger to her chin. “Mm. I dunno,” she shrugged.

“How ‘bout…” The light changed and they crossed the road with the crowd of people. “Sandwich? With some carrots and grapes?”

Brooklyn wrinkled her nose at that. “I want _chips_.”

Race laughed. _And lunch debates have begun..._ “You can have a _few_ chips, but you gotta have ya fruits and vegetables too, so you can grow up big an’ strong.”

She poked her lip out. “Chips… an' a few grapes,” Bee grinned, resuming her skipping.

Shaking his head, Race negotiated lunch with his daughter the rest of the walk to the subway, the thoughts of Boston slipping from his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know it's scientifically proven that the only thing better than ONE author with an active WIP starting another work is TWO authors with active WIPs starting another one TOGETHER, right?? :D
> 
> This has been our brain child for almost a month now, and we're so excited to finally unveil it for all you wonderful people!! We'd love to hear your thoughts on it, here or on tumblr!! (Grace: @gracetrack-higgins ; Disney: @wordshakerofgallifrey)
> 
> language note: _mimma_ is Italian, basically meaning "baby", and since Race and Spot call Brooklyn "Baby Bee", it just fits :D


	2. You Hear About Pluto?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids do arts and crafts, Pluto's status is brought into question, and a familiar movie is watched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so we're going to try something, you let us know how you like it--each chapter we'll give you the opportunity to guess who wrote the chapter (because we do have our own chapters). first one to guess correctly will get a special shout-out the next chapter!!
> 
> For Claire, who was antsy ;)

“Dad? I read for forty minutes, can I be done with quiet time?”

Jack blinked, looking up at Pete. “I’ve been playin’ Candy Crush for forty minutes?” he muttered to himself.

“What?” Pete asked, creasing his brow.

Shaking his head, Jack closed the app and locked his phone. “Nothin’. Yeah, bud, you can be done wit’ quiet time. Whaddaya wanna do now?”

Pete plopped down on the couch next to him. “Mmm… I don’t know,” he shrugged.

“Wanna make somethin’? Try one’a your science experiments?” It was too early in the summer for Jack to hear _“I’m bored”_.

Pete perked up. “Do we have balloons? And newspapers?”

 _That was easy_. Jack shrugged. “Always got papes, kid, just check the recycle bin. Might have balloons, too. What’cha thinkin’?”

Already up and moving towards the kitchen, Pete said, “Paper mache!”

“Paper mache?” Pete wasn’t one to really get his hands dirty for art, not like Corey. “An’ what’re we makin’, Petey-boy?”

“The solar system!”

“There we go,” Jack muttered, a grin tugging at his mouth. He stood up and opened the front closet they’d turned into an art closet. “How many balloons ya need, Pete?”

“Uhm…” Pete paused at the kitchen table, clutching a stack of papers to his chest. “Nine. Eight planets, one sun.”

Jack made a face as he pulled out a package of balloons. “Don’t’cha mean nine planets?”

“No, just eight. My teacher said there used to be nine planets, but Pluto isn’t a planet anymore.”

“I’m sorry, _what_?” Jack said, poking his head out from the closet. “Nah, that ain’t right. There’s nine planets, always has been.”

Pete spread out newspapers on the table. “But Pluto’s a _dwarf_ planet now, it doesn’t count.”

“An’ what’s the difference between a reg’lar planet an’ a dwarf planet?” Jack challenged, joining Pete at the table.

Pete shrugged. “It’s an object bigger than a moon, or a comet or an asteroid, but smaller than a normal planet.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. “That’s it?”

“Well, it’s also not the most gravitationally dominant object in its orbital area.”

Squinting at his son, Jack said, “Can’t argue wit’ that… mostly ‘cause I don’t know most’a them words. Where’d ya learn somethin’ like that?”

Shrugging again, Pete said, “School.”

Jack shook his head. “Well when _I_ was in school, there were still nine planets.”

“Were there dinosaurs, too?”

Jack turned to see his other boy trying not to look so pleased with himself.

“What are ya, a couple’a wise guys? One’a ya’s too smart f’r me, the other’s too sassy,” Jack said, rolling his eyes slightly.

Corey giggled, climbing up in a chair across from Jack. “What’cha makin’?”

“Pete’s makin’ paper mache. Is that somethin’ ya wanna try, Corey?”

Sticking out his bottom lip, Corey thought a moment before saying, “Nah, ‘m gonna play with my Legos.” Hopping down from the chair, Corey went to the coffee table in the living room, where his Lego village was set up.

Jack shrugged a little. Corey could entertain himself for a good couple’a hours with Legos if he wanted. “Aight. Pete, let me help ya with ya glue.”

Twenty minutes later, Pete was covering his— _nine_ —balloons with soggy, glue-covered newspaper strips and Jack had pulled out his laptop to do some work.

“Dad, did you know Jupiter has fifty-three moons?” Pete asked, carefully covering the largest balloon.

“I didn’t,” Jack admitted. “That’s a lotta moons.”

“Mm-hmm…”

Pulling away from his laptop, Jack asked over his shoulder. “How ya doin’ over there, Corey?”

“The Hulk’s taken over the Millennium Falcon an’ him an’ Chewie's gotta save Batman from the dinosaurs,” Corey said seriously.

“How did Batman get caught by dinosaurs?”

“‘Cause he didn’t have Robin. He’s on vacation.”

“Wow, that sounds really serious,” Jack said, chuckling a little. “Hope Chewie and Hulk can save Batman.”

Just then, Lucy trudged from the stairs to the kitchen, rubbing her eyes sleepily and climbing into Jack’s lap without preamble.

“Oof,” Jack laughed, shifting to compensate for the added weight. “Heya, Lucy-goose. Didja sleep?”

She nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. Lucy was always extra affectionate after she woke up.

“Ya wanna do some arts an’ crafts, sweetheart?”

“In a minute,” she mumbled, watching him work on the laptop. “Tha’s pretty,” she said, looking at the project he had pulled up.

“Well, thank ya kindly, lil miss,” Jack said, smoothing a hand down her back.

“Daddy, ‘m hungry,” she said after a minute.

Glancing at the clock on his laptop, Jack said, “Alright, we have some strawberries in the fridge, how do those sound?”

“They sound good!” Lucy climbed down from his lap and skipped to the refrigerator.

“Dad, can I have a snack, too?” Corey popped his head over the couch arm to ask.

“Me too?” Pete asked.

“Yeah, go ‘head. Wash ya hands, Pete, ‘fore ya get inta anythin’. An’ all’a ya—strawberries, apples, or peanut butter crackers. Don’t ruin ya appetite.”

Lucy and Corey went to the fridge to grab baggies of strawberries and, after washing the glue off his hands, Pete got a package of crackers from the pantry.

“Dad, can I use the iPad? I wanna look up all of Jupiter’s moons,” Pete asked.

Jack moved his laptop to the side and nodded to the mess of newspapers at the other end of the table. “Clean up ya planets first if ya done. Then you can have the iPad.”

By the time Pete had cleaned up his planets, moving them safely to the side, with only a little unsolicited help from his younger sister, and started copying down the fifty-three moons of Jupiter—for _fun_ —Corey had moved on from his Legos and joined Lucy at the table, where they seemed determined to get more paint on themselves than they did the paper in front of them.

Jack, on the other hand, had put away his laptop and started dinner, boiling water for pasta and adding things to the grocery list on the fridge, when a key turned in the lock of the front door.

“Mommaaaaa!” Lucy squealed, jumping down from her chair and running towards Katherine, wrapping skinny arms around her legs.

“Oh!” Katherine laughed at the sudden impact. “Well, look at you! Has someone been painting?”

“Yes!” Lucy giggled, wiggling her paint-covered fingers in Katherine’s face. “Me an’ Corey were paintin’ pictures!”

“ _Really_? Let me see these masterpieces, Miss Lucy.”

Lucy grinned and dragged Katherine to the kitchen table, where Corey dropped his paintbrush to throw his arms around Kath.

“Hi, Mom!”

Smacking a kiss to his cheek that made him squirm, Katherine asked, “Hiya, Corey. Did you have fun with Dad today?”

“Yeah! Look!” He held up a picture he’d painted, something that looked like Batman surrounded by dinosaurs.

“Oh my goodness, would you look at that?” she said, taking the paper from him. “That’s amazing, Corey!”

“Lookit mine, lookit mine!” Lucy said, shoving her paper towards Kath. Jack smiled softly at his wife, clearly tired from her work day, smudges of bright paint smeared across her jeans, squatting to look at their children’s art.

“We’ve got a couple of artists here, don’t we?” Katherine looked over to Pete, who hadn’t seemed to realize she’d come home. “And what about you, Pete? Did you make anything today?”

Looking up abruptly, Pete’s eyes widened before he grinned. “Mom! I’m making a paper mache solar system!” he said, pointing to where his paper mache was drying.

“The _solar system_?” Katherine asked, raising her eyebrows. “You’re going to make the whole solar system?”

Pete shook his head. “Nah, just the planets—oh! Mom! How many planets are there? I say there’s eight, but Dad says there’s nine.”

Pete and Jack looked at Katherine expectantly.

“Uhm…”

 

*~*~*~*~*

 

“Didja hear ‘bout Pluto?” Jack asked Katherine as they finally got to sit down after putting the kids to bed. “S’messed up.”

Shaking her head, Katherine curled up under his arm. “Jack, NASA demoted Pluto in 2006, you can’t be _that_ shocked.”

“S’just deaminin’,” he muttered, as she laughed, patting his chest.

“I’m sure you’ll get past it, babe.”

He tugged on one of her curls, smirking, and they lapsed into a comfortable silence that was rare around their home, half-watching some movie-musical neither of them really followed the story to.

“Have you heard anything more about Boston?” she asked, tracing idle patterns in his palm.

She’d been shocked when Jack told her about the conversation he’d had with Race. Katherine couldn’t imagine Spot and Race anywhere other than Brooklyn, couldn’t even imagine Spot _wanting_ to be anywhere but Brooklyn.

Jack shrugged. “Not since Wednesday. Race hasn’t said anythin’, an’ Lucy’d know if Bee knew.”

“Do you think Spot will really take the new job?” she fidgeted with his wedding band, twisting it around his finger.

“Dunno. Never can tell with Spot, really. Hard ta see ‘im act’lly goin’ through with it.” He flexed the fingers in her hand and she stopped playing with his ring.

“Can I be honest?” Katherine asked, tilting her head up at him.

“Well, Ace, I like to think afta’ thirteen years’a marriage, we can be honest wit’ each other.” Jack laughed as she smacked his chest.

“I’m being serious, Jack!” She waited until he raised his hands in surrender before she continued. “I want what’s best for Sean and Anthony and Brooklyn, you know I do… but I kind of hope they stay.”

Jack pressed a kiss to her temple. “Can _I_ be honest? Me too.”

Smiling, Katherine sat up to properly kiss him, tracing his jaw with her fingers. Resting her forehead against his, she dropped her voice and said, “‘Afta’ thirteen years’a marriage, Jack'—”

He groaned, kissing her again to stop her poor imitation of him, and she laughed, tugging his ear as she pulled away, settling against him once again.

“What even is this movie? He just stole a horse.”

Jack winced as the character on screen started dancing, an awkward hop-step move. “Okay, tell me I dance betta’n that guy.”

“Please don’t make me answer that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't think I'd absolutely have Jack and Katherine watch the Newsies movie just so I could poke fun at both Jeremy and Christian's dancing, I'm afraid you don't know me that well ;) XD
> 
> the definition of dwarf planet seems wordy, but I absolutely found it on a kid's science website, so do with that what you will...
> 
> Ten points if you caught the _Psych_ reference!!
> 
> Who wrote it? Grace or Disney?


	3. When In Doubt, Dance (Camp) It Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Race's solo day with the kids, and he knows exactly how to keep the kids busy, and wear them out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to Mags for correctly guessing last chapter!! (honorable mention to Pigeon, who also guessed the first chapter!)

~*~*~*~

 

“Alrighty let’s do a headcount,” Race said as he walked backwards down the crowded city sidewalk, “We got Petey, we got Corey, we got Miss Lucy an’ my Baby Bee!” He counted, pointing at each of the children in his ward. “Fantastic. Who’s ready to dance it out t’day, kiddos?”

Lucy and Brooklyn both cheered and jumped up and down and Race laughed, holding out both of his hands to grab the kids’ hands, Corey Kelly taking one hand, Brooklyn taking the other, her other hand gripping Lucy’s as the group walked to the subway station. It was Race’s day with the kids while Jack went into work, and he decided the best way to wear out a group of rambunctious children was to make them dance for four hours straight.

“I’m ready Papa!” Brooklyn cheered, jumping back and forth. “Me an’ Uncle Jojo’s gonna work on my cartwheels!!”

“Oh yeah?” Race grinned, “What about ballet lessons with Papa? I ain’t good ‘nough for ya now?”

Brooklyn giggled, tugging on Race’s hand. “Pappaaaaaaa,” she teased, “You said we’s gonna do _all_ the dances today!”

Race nodded. “I did say that, didn’t I?” he winked. “There’s enough dances to go around, don’t worry. You’ll all get a chance to try everythin’!”

“Me too, Uncle Tony??” Corey asked, and Race nodded. “Of course! Even Petey can join in!”

“I brought my book, is that okay?” Pete asked a little shyly.

“No worries Pete, you can do whatever makes ya comfy. But you might like dancin’ wit’ me an’ Uncle Al today, give it a shot.”

Pete smiled a little, nodding. “I will, Uncle Tony.”

By the time they reached the dance studio Race was carrying Brooklyn on his back and holding Lucy’s hand, who had her brothers hands grasped behind her in a train.

“TA-DA!” Race announced as he burst in the door of the studio, grinning excitedly. “The Kelly Kids have arrived!!”

“And Bee!!!” Brooklyn giggled from Race’s back.

“And Bee!” Race agreed. “Aaaaand, me!”

Jojo grinned back at the group from his seat at the front desk.

“Hello everyone!” he laughed, hurrying from around the desk to be tackled in hugs from his nieces and nephews. “Are you all ready for some dance camp fun today?”

The kids cheered, Brooklyn and Lucy wrapping themselves around Jojo’s legs with excitement.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Jojo laughed, trying in vain to detach the little girls from his legs. “Dang, they’ve got tight grips.”

“Welcome to my world,” Race laughed, pulling the girls back, making them giggle and latch on harder.

“Alright, alright, let Uncle Jojo breathe, geez! He’s an exhausted new Daddy, give ‘im some space!”

“When do we get ta meet the baby??” Corey asked, jumping up next to his sister and cousin. “Soon? I love babies.”

Jojo laughed, grinning. “He’s a lil guy, so we’re tryin’ to keep ‘im home ‘til he’s a little bit bigger, but you’ll meet ‘im soon enough, don’t worry!”

“Aww.” Corey pouted, “No babies.”

“Not yet, buddy.” Race said, putting a hand on Corey’s shoulder, “Soon!”

“Oh _there_ are my favorite students!!!” Albert called as he entered the studio lobby, his two year old daughter on his hip, and the Kelly kids and Brooklyn immediately let go of Jojo to tackle Albert instead.

“Geez,” Albert laughed, “You’d think it’s been years. I saw Luce an’ Brookie like three days ago!!”

“But not _me_ , Uncle Albert!!” Corey protested as he squeezed into Albert’s side next to his sister and cousin and brother. Albert shook his head and set his daughter Annie down next to the kids, kneeling to talk to them.

Race shook his head in amusement and leaned against the studio’s desk, nodding at Jojo.

“How’s fatherhood, young, sweet, Jojo?” he teased, and Jojo rolled his eyes.

“Young? Race, we’re literally the same age.”

“You’re a young dad! I’ve been a father for at least a ten years now.”

Jojo glanced to Race’s adopted seven year old, and then back at him. “Okay.”

“Soooo? How’s everything? Baby doin’ good?”

“Yeah,” Jojo’s smile grew with pride. “He’s been doin’ so good since comin’ home from the hospital last week. Gainin’ weight an’ eatin’ real good. He’s perfect.”

Race wrapped an arm around Jojo’s shoulders proudly. “Are ya gonna show me photos or what??”

Jojo grinned and pulled out his phone to share pictures of his new son while Albert talked to the kids, who were all excited about the prospect of dance camp.

“Papa!!” Brooklyn called as she bounded back over to Race’s side, “Help me put on m’ slippers!” she thrust her dance bag at Race, who grabbed it and shook his head in amusement.

“Someone’s excited,” He teased, lifting Brooklyn in his arms, making her shriek with giggles. Race sat her down on the bench in the lobby to help with her shoes, Lucy sliding across the bench on her belly into Brooklyn’s lap, both girls screaming with laughter. Race snorted, sitting Lucy upright and helping with her shoes as well, tying the little ballet slippers into bows.

“Alrighty, I want Petey an’ Corey wit’ me in the next class startin’ in a few minutes, girlsies go wit’ Mr. Anthony for the first class, yeah?” Albert asked, glancing at the classrooms full of students waiting to be rotated and more students filling the lobby.

“Mr. Anthony.” Brooklyn giggled as she repeated, “You mean, _Papa_ , Uncle Albert.”

“That’s _Mr. Papa_ to you, young lady.” Race teased, tickling Brooklyn’s sides, making her scream.

“So that means you’re _Mr. Uncle Tony_ too?” Lucy asked next, hopping off the bench and laying herself dramatically across Race’s bent knees.

“That’s exactly right, Luce.” Race laughed, standing her upright. “Let’s get stretchin’ babies, I’m gonna make you two work the hardest!”

Brooklyn huffed as she slid into a split easily to stretch, twisting her hips to flip sides without even standing up. Race grinned and even Albert looked impressed.

“Uncle Jojo!” Brooklyn called, “Can you help me wit’ my one hand cartwheel today??” she asked and Jojo leaned over the desk to grin at his niece.

“You betcha, Brookie! I get you lovely ladies for acro next hour! We’ll work on all kinds of fun stuff.”

Brooklyn grinned up at Jojo and then her dad as she leaned over to stretch more, Lucy pouting as she only got halfway through her split, still making a valiant attempt at flexibility.

“She’s got Jackie’s flexibility,” Albert teased lightly gesturing to Lucy, Corey hanging off his back as he finished getting his black jazz shoes on.

“An’ Kathy’s determination.” Race added, smirking. “Keep up the good work Luce!”

Lucy grinned, wobbling in her split as she lifted up one hand to give Race a thumbs up.

A bell rang through the studio announcing a class circulation and Albert clapped his hands together, shifting so Corey wouldn’t fall off his back.

“Okie dokie kiddos, let’s get goin’! Dance time!”

 

~*~*~*~

 

“One _two_ , three and four.” Race emphasized, guiding the girls and boys at the ballet barre through a series of pliés and stretches.

“Lucy, are ya watchin’ me?” Race asked, eyeing his niece with a smirk.

Lucy grinned, brushing her flyaway hairs from her face. “I’m watchin’!”

Brooklyn giggled behind her best friend, standing tall as Race gave her a wink.

“Plié, two, three, four,” Race instructed, humming along to his favorite ballet barre piano compilation, “Cambré back, six, seven, eight.” Race stretched back in time with the girls in his class, “And relevé up, squeeze squeeze squeeze!” He walked down the line of kids at the barre, straightening knees, relaxing shoulders, and fixing hands. Race stopped in front of his daughter, tickling her sides trying to get her to break her focus. Brooklyn bit her lips and scrunched her nose, trying not to wobble or laugh, pouting up at her dad until he booped her nose and continued down the line to Lucy.

Lucy was trying her absolute best, tongue pressed between her lips in concentration as she tried to hold her balance on her toes. Race grinned, gently pushing Lucy’s shoulders down so they weren’t pressed around her neck and pried her hands apart so they looked more graceful.

“Annnnnnd _relax_ ,” Race said, and the girls all dramatically dropped down from their relevés and leaned against the barre.

“Okay, piqué turns behind….” Race dramatically covered his eyes and pointed wildly, opening his eyes and snorting. “Lucy it is. Line up behind Miss Kelly, guys!”

“YES!” Lucy cheered, skipping across the studio and narrowly missing slamming into the wall as she skidded to a stop. “Behind me, guys!”

 

~*~*~*~

 

“Okie dokie guys, let’s do that combo one more time!” Albert shouted, looking at the group of kids behind him in the mirror. “Five, six, seven, eight!” Albert nodded encouragingly as he marked the steps, smirking at his daughter lying on the floor in the corner of the studio, playing with his iPad.

“Good work, out-cross-touch-in! And open, and jazz hands!” Albert grinned, pointing at his nephew in the mirror. “I see you Pete! Keep it up, kiddo!” Pete grinned shyly back at his uncle, wiping sweat off his forehead as he continued the combo.

“Step and draaag, jump, open, turn!” Albert called, “Niiiice!”

As the music stopped and the kids finished the combo Albert grinned, hands on his hips as he surveyed his class.

“Alright, good work. Go on and take a water break before we rotate classes, yeah?”

The kids all dramatically scrambled to their bags and lunch boxes, drinking their waters like they’d been trapped in a desert for a week instead of a dance studio for an hour.

“Uncle Allllllbert!” Corey Kelly shouted as he ran and slid across the studio floor on his knees, stopping himself with his hands and standing up to latch himself around Albert’s waist.

“What’s up Corey-kid?” Albert asked, ruffling Corey’s sweaty hair. “Didja have fun shakin’ ya groove thing wit’ me today?”

Corey grinned. “So much fun! Pete was all shy but I knew it’d be fun, we always have fun dancin’ with you!”

“Glad ta hear it, kiddo.” Albert detached himself from Corey’s arms as Annie sat up from her spot in the corner, pouting. “DADA.”

“Duty calls, Core,” Albert teased, sliding over to his two year old in his socks, bending to talk to her.

“Peeeete!” Corey chirped, bumping into his brother with his shoulder, “Stop readin’, come play with me!”

Pete looked over his book and smirked at his little brother. “Play? We’re going into class in a few minutes.”

“Yeah, a _few minutes_ ,” Corey sighed, “BORING you’re boring!”

Pete stuck his tongue out at Corey over the edge of his science book. “We’ll have plenty of time to play when we go back home later.”

Corey pouted and sat on the floor in front of his brother, glaring at him until Pete put down his book and sighed.

“What do you wanna play?” he asked tiredly and Corey grinned, smacking his hand out and hitting Pete’s knee.

“TAG! YOU’RE IT!” Corey leapt up from his seat and tore off running around the studio and Pete immediately followed.

“Oh, it is _on_.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Three hours, four more classes and many more water breaks later, the kids laid flat on the cool tile of the dance studio lobby while Race, Albert and Jojo finished cleaning up and closing after all the campers were picked up.

“Uncle Tonyyyyy,” Lucy whined, waving her hands at her uncle, “Pleeeeeease can we go home?”

Race snorted, looking up over his reading glasses and the desk to the kids lying on the floor. “Almost, Lucy-Goosey. Give me five minutes.”

“Papa you said that like five hundred minutes ago,” Bee protested, rolling over so she was facing the desk. “I wanna snack.”

“You gotta snack in ya bag, Bumblebee,” Race reminded, typing at Albert’s computer. “Almost done.”

“Dada!” Annie DaSilva whined next, and Albert rolled his eyes.

“Oh no, don’t you start too,” He chided, shaking his head disapprovingly. “You got juice, you’ve got a somewhat-clean spot of tile, you’ve got ya duck, I don’t see what more you could _possibly_ want.”

Annie pouted, throwing her stuffed duck in her dad’s direction, and Albert raised a brow at her skeptically.

“Well congrats, now you don’t gotcha duck.” Albert deadpanned, sighing as Annie started to cry, big fake crocodile tears because she wanted attention.

“Why can’t ya all be as nice an’ patient as Petey?” Race asked, gesturing to Pete sitting on the bench reading as the girls resumed whining, “And Cor…” He looked over the desk and sighed. “Where’s Corey?”

Bee and Lucy both shrugged as they spun around on their backs on the floor.

“Ewww,” Jojo teased, “Sweaty icky girls getting covered in dirt and germs!”

“I like germs!” Lucy said with a giggle.

“Nooo,” Jojo laughed, “Bad germs!”

“PAPAAAAAA,” Bee moaned loudly.

“Shhh, Bee,” Race chided, “Where’s Corey? Lucy?”

“I dunno, he’s prob’ly sleepin’.”

“Sleepin’?”

“Mmhm.”

Annie’s shrieking grew louder and Jojo rounded the desk to lift his niece up, resting her on his hip. “Shhhh.”

“Where’s Corey sleepin’ at?” Race asked, finishing his work at Albert’s laptop.

“Prob’ly the closet,” Lucy said with a shrug and Race and Albert both look at each other with confusion.

“The closet?” Albert asked, taking Annie from Jojo’s arms.

“Yep.”

“He hides sometimes when he’s sleepy and it’s too loud,” Pete explained, “Check the closet or cabinet under the stereo.”

Race shrugged and opened the closet door, snorting to find Corey Kelly curled up in a ball on top of an overturned bucket, leaning into a corner, fast asleep.

“Okay,” Race said after taking a few pictures with his phone to send to Jack and Kath later, “I guess it’s time to go home.” He lifted Corey, who protested lightly and slid him around to his back, Corey flopping his arms around Race’s neck as Race hoisted him up higher.

“Come on kiddos,” Race said, holding Corey on his back. “Let’s get goin’. We can get some snacks an’ watch a show when we get home, yeah?”

Bee and Lucy both bolted to their feet and grabbed their bags, tugging for Pete to follow. Pete did, slinging his and Corey’s bags over his shoulder and followed the girls and Uncle Tony out the door, the awake-kids waving goodbye to Jojo, Albert and Annie as they started down the block to the subway station.

 

~*~*~*~

 

When Jack Kelly arrived at the Higgins-Conlon apartment at exactly 5:15 he was met by Racetrack Higgins tiptoeing in socks to the door to let him in, holding a finger to his lips, shushing him before he even got through the door.

“What?” Jack asked in a whisper, putting his messenger bag down on the ground by the door, “What’s ya shushin’ me for, Racer?”

“They’re asleep!” Race whispered excitedly, “All’a ‘em! Sleepin’ like babes for the past hour.”

“All’a ‘em?” Jack asked, eyes wide. “Pete too?”

“Pete, Corey, Lucy an’ Brooklyn, even my evil cat’s takin’ a nap! Everyone’s fast asleep!” Race cheered quietly and Jack grinned, slipping off his work shoes so he was also in his socks and the two men jumped up and down silently in joy.

“How’d ya swing that?” Jack asked softly, following Race quietly past the two little girls asleep on the couch, cat curled up between them, and Pete and Corey curled up on blankets and cushions on the floor. Race waited until he and Jack were in the kitchen before he grinned.

“Dance camp wore those suckers out!” Race said, voice just above a whisper. “Been sleepin’ since we got home at four. I even got a twenty minute power nap m’self!”

“Impressive,” Jack said with a nod of approval, “I ain’t been able to get Pete ta nap for what, four years?”

Race bowed, winking at Jack. “Ah, the day I’ve been waitin’ for, the day you tell me my parentin’ skills’ superior ta yours.”

“Now that ain’t what I’m sayin’,” Jack said immediately, opening Race’s fridge and grabbing a water bottle for himself, “Bold of you to assume I’d ever give ya that much credit.”

“Yeah, fair.” Race snorted, “Al an’ Jojo did plen’y of work too.”

“See! Tryin’ ta take credit for other Dads’ hard work! I see how it is!”

Race was about to retort, opening a box of crackers for himself when both Jack and Race stopped and craned their necks to look into the family room as Lucy tiredly cried out, “Daddy?”

“Ay, baby girl.” Jack said quietly, leaning in the doorway of the kitchen, “Have a nice nap?”

Lucy rubbed at her eyes, sliding off the couch and avoiding stepping on her brothers as she padded across to her dad, quickly climbing him like a jungle gym until Jack had her curled up in his arms. He laughed softly, pressing a kiss to Lucy’s dark hair.

“Didja have fun at dance camp t’day baby?” Jack asked quietly and Lucy nodded tiredly, hooking her arms around Jack’s neck.

“Well there goes m’ peace an’ quiet,” Race teased, pinching Lucy’s arm lightly, making her giggle. “If Luce is awake my lil Bee won’t be far behind.”

Jack gathered up his kids’ things, still holding Lucy tight in one arm while she dozed off on his shoulder and Race gently woke up the boys and Brooklyn, who whined and snuggled the cat, rolling over and taking a patient Miss Cuddlekinz with her.

“Up an’ at ‘em, boys!” Jack called, “Gotta get home, Momma’s already waitin’ for us ta make dinner!”

“Momma’s home?” Corey asked with a yawn, and Jack nodded.

“She is! An’ she wants ta hear all ‘bout ya day so let’s get goin’. Help Uncle Tony clean up the pillows an’ we’ll go.”

Race smiled as Corey and Pete helped awkwardly fold the blankets and stack them on top of the cushions Race had set up on the floor and after many hugs and a dramatic but sleepy goodbye from Bee, in which she promised to see her cousins “when her strength returns”, Jack loaded the Kelly kids into their car to head back home.

Race plopped down on the couch next to his daughter, Miss Cuddlekinz the cat snarling as she leapt off the couch and slunk away.

“What a day, eh _Mimma_?”

Brooklyn crawled over to snuggle in Race’s lap, playing with his hand.

“Fun day,” She said simply, looking up at her papa with a happy missing-tooth smile. “Can we go to the park t’morrow, Papa?”

Race laughed, tickling Brooklyn’s sides, pulling his face back to avoid being slapped as Brooklyn flailed with giggles.

“We’ll see, silly Bee,” he teased, “Right now though, how ‘bout we put on a show ‘til Daddy comes home, yeah?”

“Star Wars girls show?” Brooklyn asked, and Race almost rolled his eyes, nodding.

“Anything you want, baby.”

 

~*~*~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dance Terms:  
> Plié - simple bend at the knees  
> Cambré - to arch back from the waist  
> Relevé - to raise, rising up on your toes/balls of the feet  
> Piqué - means to prick, or pricking turn. The foot pricks the ground and points to the supporting knee in the turn
> 
> poor Luce. She just isn't a ballerina...
> 
> We'd love to know what you think!! <3
> 
> Who wrote it? Grace or Disney?


	4. Slime Creatures From Outer Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mornings are _very_ different in the Kelly household and the Higgins-Conlon apartment, but once the dust settles, good summer fun is had by all (with only slight embarrassment to their preteen charge).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special shoutout to Pigeon, who guessed last chapter correctly!!
> 
> We kind of figured dance camp would give it away, but I (Disney) would just like to go on record as o f f e n d e d no one thought I could pull off a dance chapter, I've written dance stuff before!!! ....
> 
> (...... that was then edited by Grace. Okay I guess I see it ;) )

Spot scrolled through his emails—some from clients, a couple from his boss, one from Jordan, asking him if he would come back to Boston—on his iPad with one hand, rubbing Brooklyn’s back with the other.

“Daddy! Guess what?” Brooklyn suddenly flipped on her back to look up at him.

“What, baby?” he asked, brushing back her hair.

She pushed his hand away, grinning. “Me an’ Papa get ta see Uncle Jack an’ Lucy an’ Corey an’ Pete today!”

“Yeah?” Her toothy grin was infectious, and he smiled back at her. “You excited?”

“Yeah! ‘m _so_ excited, Daddy!”

“ _So_ excited, huh? What’cha gonna do?”

Her smile faded a little as she thought about that. “I dunno. Papa won’t tell me,” Brooklyn pouted, rolling back towards the TV where they were watching an episode of _Forces of Destiny_ before Spot went to work.

Speaking of…

“Well,” he said, leaning down to kiss her forehead as the credits rolled. “How ‘bout we go ask ‘im? I gotta be headin’ inta work, so it’s time to get Papa up.”

Bee rolled off the couch, landing easily on her feet, popping up to grab Spot’s hand. “Yeah! Let’s go wake up Papa!”

Spot allowed her to drag him down to he and Race’s bedroom, where his husband was still sprawled out in bed, asleep. Brooklyn climbed up in the bed next to him to shake his shoulder.

“Papaaaaa. Wake up.”

Race scrunched his nose as Bee kept shaking his shoulder, increasingly raising her voice as she chanted. “Papa, Papaaaaa, time to wake _up_ …”

Burying his face in his pillow, briefly, Race finally opened his eyes. “‘Ay, Baby Bee,” he rasped, rubbing at his eyes and sitting up.

Spot settled a hand on his back, rubbing his thumb on the back of his neck, and Race leaned into his touch. “‘m headin’ out. S’a court day, but I shouldn’t be home too late.”

“Mmkay.” Race grasped his jacket, pulling him in to kiss him.

Spot squeezed the back of his neck lightly and pulled away. “I left the coffee on,” he said.

Groaning, Race pulled him back in. “God, I have never loved ya more,” Race said, kissing him again.

Spot laughed, then reached for Brooklyn. “Have fun today, Honeybee.”

“Bye Daddy!” she hugged him tight and he kissed her cheek before kissing Race one more time and leaving for work.

“Papa! Where’re we goin’ today?” Bee asked, bouncing on her knees.

He scooped her up, setting her in his lap. “You, me, Uncle Jack, an’ ya cousins’re goin’ to the planetarium t’day, Bee. That sound fun?”

“Yeah!”

“But we don’t gotta go anywhere just yet, ya wanna cuddle wit’ me f’r a bit?”

Bee curled into him, all-too-willing to put off seeing her cousins in favor of cuddling with Papa a while longer. “Yeah, Papa.”

Wrapping his arms around her, Race leaned back against the headboard and closed his eyes another moment.

*

_Tickets, Lucy’s inhaler…_

“Babe, we’re going to need more milk,” Katherine said, putting the almost-empty gallon of milk in the refrigerator.

“S’on the list,” Jack said, digging through his bag to make sure he had everything.

Tickets.

Lucy’s inhaler.

Portable charger—

“Lucy, hon, cereal goes in a bowl or your mouth, not the table,” Katherine chided gently.

Giggling, Lucy said, “But the table _wants_ cereal, Momma.”

“The table can’t _eat_ , dummy,” Pete said, rolling his eyes as he turned a page in his planet book.

Lucy pouted. “‘m not a dummy, _you’s_ a dummy!”

Pete rolled his eyes again. “It’s not _you’s_ , it’s _you’re_. Dummy.”

“ _Momma_! _Daddy_!” Lucy wailed.

“‘Ay, what did we say ‘bout words like that?” Jack scolded. “Pete, ‘pologize ta ya sister, Lucy, ‘pologize ta Pete.”

“Sorry,” Pete muttered, sounding entirely unapologetic as he flipped another page.

“ _Sorry_ ,” Lucy said back, just as unapologetic.

“Oooooh,” Corey taunted, and Katherine squeezed his shoulder in warning as she walked past him to refill her travel mug.

“She wouldn’t talk like that if she didn’t hear, oh, every single one of her uncles talk like that,” she teased Jack, hip-checking him.

“Yeah, yeah, we ain’t good at English,” Jack said in an exaggerated accent, checking her back, going through his bag _again._

Tickets.

Lucy’s inhaler.

Portable charger (Race ran around with his phone on 20% and Jack knew it’d be the death of him).

Phone (fully charged).

Wallet.

Keys—

“Shoot.” Katherine slung her bag over her shoulder. “I have to go now if I’m going to make the train.” Sliding a hand over Jack’s wrist, she tugged him towards her to kiss him.

Kissing her back, he turned her around to face the kids. “Alright, hooligans.” Jack said, wrapping his arm around the front of Katherine’s shoulders. “Momma’s goin’ to work now, time ta say goodbye.”

Corey and Lucy jumped from their chairs, and Jack let go of Kath with a kiss to her cheek as they tackled her with hugs.

“Byyyyyeeee Momma!” Lucy said, squeezing her around the waist. “Ya gonna chase scoops?”

Katherine laughed, smoothing a hand over Lucy’s braid. “I’ll certainly try, Lucy-goose. You have fun with Daddy and Uncle Tony, okay?”

“Okay!” Katherine pecked a kiss to her forehead and Lucy let go.

“Mooooommmm. When are ya gonna spend the day with us?” Corey asked, his arms still tight around her.

“What, am I not good ‘nough ta hang out wit’, Bug?” Jack asked, looking insulted.

“We sees ya _every day,_ Daddy,” Lucy pointed out.

“Yeah, we _never_ see Mom,” Pete chimed in after hugging Katherine.

Katherine winced a little. She tried to get days off, but last week she’d had to be at the office all week. “Thursday,” she said firmly. “We’ll do something fun on Thursday, okay?”

“Yay!” Lucy cheered, running to hug Katherine again, her brothers echoing her sentiments.

“Okay, I really have to go now,” Katherine said, hugging the kids one more time and blowing a kiss to Jack. “Say hi to Anthony and Bee for me, Jack.”

“Will do. Love you!” he called.

“Love you!” The door shut behind her.

Jack turned to the kids. “A’ight, Kellys. If ya done with breakfast, go on an’ get ready.”

The kids dumped their bowls and spoons in the sink, chasing each other up the stairs, and Jack turned back to his bag to finish checking it.

 _Tickets_ —

“ _Dad_!”

*

“Bee, honey, didja feed your demon cat?” Race asked, as he set his coffee cup in the sink.

“Pa _pa_ ,” she giggled, hopping down from her chair, where she was coloring. “Miss Cuddlekinz isn’t a _demon,_  she’s just a cat!”

“Ya sure ‘bout that?” Race muttered, as he stepped too close to the tabby and she hissed and swiped at him.

Brooklyn dragged out the bag of cat food and, using the scoop inside to dispense food into the cat bowl at the end of the counter. Miss Cuddlekinz purred loudly, rubbing her head against Bee’s legs.

Patting the top of her head, Brooklyn said, “ _S_ _ee_ , Papa? She’s nice.”

“To you an’ Daddy, maybe.”

“Why don’t ya like Miss Cuddlekinz, Papa?” Brooklyn asked, looking slightly distressed, and Race felt bad. After Lucy, the stupid cat was probably her best friend.

Taking a step towards his daughter, despite the dirty look the cat shot him, he ran a hand through her hair. “I _like_ Miss Cuddlekinz, baby, I really do. She’s jus’ never liked me that much. She prefers you an’ ya daddy.”

Brooklyn still looked upset, but she quickly brightened and scooped up the cat to hold her up to Race. “Miss Cuddlekinz likes ya, Papa! See? Pet her!”

If cats could give warning looks, Miss Cuddlekinz was definitely giving him one. But it had nothing on the pleading look Bee was giving him, so Race stroked a tentative hand down her back. Amazingly, she didn’t even hiss at him, but he didn’t push it.

“See, Papa!” Brooklyn grinned, and squeezed the cat to her, hugging her tightly. “Toldja she likes you!”

“Yes, ya did, Baby Bee. Now how’s about ya let Miss C go, so ya can go get dressed so we can go meet Uncle Jack an’ ya cousins?”

“Yeah!” Dropping Miss Cuddlekinz, Brooklyn barely avoided tripping over her in her haste to race to her room.

Eyeing the cat warily, Race took another tentative step towards her, only for her to hiss loudly and attack his ankles.

“ _Monellaccio_!”

*

“Dadddyyyy!”

Jack turned around leaning on his elbows to look over the counter at Lucy. “Yes, offspring?”

She pouted. “I can’t find m’shoes.”

“Which ones, baby?”

“The purple ones.”

Jack wasn’t sure why he asked—like her mother, Lucy had too many shoes for him to keep track of. “Didja check ya closet?”

“Uh-huh.”

“By the front door?”

“Yep.”

“Under ya bed?” Jack tried.

Lucy tapped her chin with a finger, pouting her lip in an exaggerated thoughtful face. “Mm… No.”

“Try there, honey.”

“Okay!” She turned and ran back towards the stairs.

Sighing, Jack pushed himself off the counter, slinging his satchel over his shoulder. “Alright, Kellys!” he called upstairs. “If you’re ready, I needja by the door, now.”

Corey was the first down the stairs, jumping the last couple of steps. “‘m ready, Dad!”

“Are ya?”

“Yeah!”

“Got’cha shoes?”

“Yep!”

“Brushed ya teeth?”

“ _Yes_ , Dad.”

He ruffled Corey’s hair. “Alright, I got one, where’s the other two?”

Pete was next, bounding down the stairs. Jack went through the same spiel with him, and then they were just waiting for Lucy.

“Lucy, are ya ready, hon?” he called up the stairs.

“Coming!” Lucy yelled back, pounding down the stairs. She emerged from the stairs, her—yellow, not purple—shoes untied.

“Luce, ya betta’ tie ya shoes ‘fore ya trip over them laces.”

Pouting, Lucy crossed her arms. “Don’t _wanna_.”

“Alright, kid, trip over ya laces then.”

“ _Daddy,_  I won’t—” Lucy tripped over her laces, sprawling across the floor.

Pete laughed.

Corey laughed.

Jack sighed.

Lucy pouted again and sat up to tie her shoes.

Jack jingled the keys in his hand and opened the front door. “Alright that’s one, two, three Kellys, let’s go!”

*

“Alright, my lil’ fashionista, ya ready ta go?” Race knocked on Bee’s door. They were cutting it pretty close, they’re supposed to meet Jack and his kids in fifteen minutes and it’d take them that long just to get to the subway.

“ _Almost_ , Papa,” Brooklyn answered, exasperated.

Laughing, he leaned against the wall across from her room, propping one foot against the wall behind him to adjust the strap of his sandal.

He thought about Spot’s case, which was entering its second week in court. From what Spot could tell him, he knew the defense was throwing everything they had at him, and it was getting harder and harder to see a win coming out of it for him.

Race wondered for the millionth time if things would be different in Boston. He hadn’t settled on how he felt about the thought of moving, didn’t want to dwell on that until it was solid.

He’d made one big move in his life, from his family house upstate to his dorm in college freshman year. He managed to stay there through the summer after freshman year, and sophomore year, before he and Spot got an apartment junior year. They’d moved once since, to their apartment now after they were married, but that was maybe two blocks from their first place.

Moving a whole state away? That was a _huge_ step.

The sound of Brooklyn’s door opening broke him out of his thoughts, and he turned his head to look at his daughter.

“How do I look, Papa?” she asked, hands on her hips, striking a sassy pose.

“ _Gor_ geous, _mimma_ ,” Race said. Brooklyn and Lucy had just hit their phase where they wanted to dress themselves, which led to… interesting fashion choices. Today, Brooklyn’s choice was a black t-shirt with the _Star Wars_ logo on it, black and yellow striped leggings, an armful of beaded bangles, and pink platform flip-flops.

“Ya ready ta go meet Uncle Jack, an’ Lucy an’ the boys?”

“No! One more thing!” Brooklyn ran back into her room and Race shook his head, laughing. A moment later, Bee ran back into the hallway, now wearing her bright red heart-shaped sunglasses. “Now ‘m ready, Papa!”

“Let’s roll, Baby Bee.”

*

“ _Lucy_!”

“ _Brooklyn_!”

“Hey Kellys!” Race called as they approached them at the front of the building, letting go of Brooklyn’s hand so she could run to hug Lucy.

Jack shook his head. “Racer, how’re ya _late_? Ya only got one kid ya gotta get out the door.”

Race looked affronted, putting a hand on his chest. “Ex _cuse_ you, John—” Jack rolled his eyes at the use of his first name. “—our world does not revolve around the Kelly clan, we are _busy_ people…”

“Mm.” Jack rolled his eyes. “Yeah, super busy.”

“Aw, baby,” Race teased. “Ya know ya can’t stay mad at me.”

“God, how’d’ja even land Conlon, Racer?” Jack joked, putting his arm around Race as well.

“I seduced ‘im with m’charm an’ good looks.” Race batted his eyes at him. Jack made a face.

“Eh… I’ve seen better-lookin’.”

“You _wound_ me, my _summer love_ —”

Before Race could finish his rebuff, Pete interrupted them.

“Dad, Uncle Tony, let’s _go_!” he called, breaking the circle Bee, Lucy, and Corey had made with their hands, grabbing Lucy’s and pulling them towards the door.

“Daddy! Can I sit by ya?” Lucy asked, tugging on his hand.

“No! I wanna sit next ta Dad!” Corey protested.

“Don’t’cha worry,” Jack soothed, before a fight broke out. “Ya can both sit by me inside.”

“I wanna sit by Lucy!” Brooklyn said, grasping Lucy’s other hand.

“What, no one wants ta sit next to me?” Race complained, taking the tickets from Jack to hand to the attendant. “What about’chu, Petey? Wanna sit next ta ya Uncle Tony?”

Pete, too enthralled with the domed ceiling despite it being blank, didn’t answer. Race huffed. “Betrayal _hurts_ , Peter,” he said, as Brooklyn and Lucy giggled.

“Huh?”

“You can sit next to _me_ , Papa!” Brooklyn said, taking his hand.

Smiling down at his daughter, Race said, “Thank ya, Brookie.”

“Think we’ll see aliens?” Corey asked in awe, looking around the auditorium.

“Aliens aren’t _real_ ,” Pete insisted. “Ooh! There’s some seats over there!” He dragged them down the row a little ways where there were six seats available.

“Now wait a minute,” Jack said as they got settled in their seats—with everyone sitting by everyone they wanted to sit next to. “Let’s hear more ‘bout these aliens. Corey, what do aliens look like? Little green men?”

“Dad, they’re not _real_ —”

“ _No_ , they’re purple.” Corey cut off his brother.

“Purple aliens?” Race asked.

“Yeah!” Corey nodded. “Like BB’s room!”

Brooklyn scrunched her nose at the nickname. “ _My_ purple?”

“Yeah!” Corey was just warming up. “An’ they got big heads an’ skinny lil’ arms an’—”

“And they’re _not real_.” Pete insisted. Corey frowned.

“How d’ _you_ know?” he demanded. “You’re jus’ _borin'_ , an’ ya don’t got any ‘magintaion!”

Pete rolled his eyes—Jack seriously beginning to wonder if he needed to have a conversation with his oldest about how his eyes would get stuck like that if he kept doing that—and opened his mouth to retort, but the lights dimmed and and the overhead voice came over the speakers, and Jack and Race managed to get the kids settled in for their trip to outer space.

*

“Show didn’t last as long as I thought,” Race said, scrunching his nose at the time, as they exited the building, the kids walking ahead of them, excitedly talking about the show. “Think we have somethin’ ta finish off the afternoon with?”

Jack gave him a disbelieving look. “You _have_ met my wife, right? Of course we have stuff for the kids to do. We got space-themed crafts an’ stuff at home.”

“We’ll meet’cha at your place then?”

“Yeah, try not ta get lost, a’ight?”

“I love you, baby!” Race called dramatically as they split with their kids, causing heads to turn in the front lobby of the planetarium.

“Bye snookums!” Jack laughed, taking Lucy and Corey’s hands. Pete was bright red, walking ten feet behind them.

“You’re _so embarrassing_ , Dad,” he said, covering his face.

“Ohhhhh, Petey-boy, I can be a lot worse’n that. Wanna see?”

“ _No_!”

The Kellys disappeared out the door, and Race squeezed Brooklyn’s hand. “Ready ta roll, _mimma_?” She didn’t answer him, gazing through the window of the gift shop. “What’cha lookin’ at, sweetheart?”

“D’ya think those _really_ glow, Papa?” she asked, pointing at the bags of stick-on glow-in-the-dark stars.

He shrugged. “Only one way to find out, right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bee's shirt is courtesy of [Her Universe](https://www.heruniverse.com/product/star-wars-lightsaber-light-up-logo-youth-t-shirt/10883181.html?cgid=shop-by-license-star-wars#prefn1=size&prefv1=YTHLG&start=3)!!!
> 
> if you just can't get enough of this story, check out [ Grace's companion piece about Al and Annie](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15159761%22)!!!
> 
> language note: _monellaccio_ is Italian, meaning "you little devil!" and if you don't think Race heard that once a week growing up at home, I don't know what to tell you ;)
> 
> Who wrote it? Grace or Disney?


	5. Bee's Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glance into a night at the Higgins-Conlon house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to Claire and Mags who guessed last chapter correctly!!

~*~

Spot smiled a little as he entered his apartment after an extremely long day in court, setting his briefcase down inside the door and immediately undoing his work shirt’s top buttons, tossing his tie to the floor, hanging up his blazer, and rolling up the sleeves. He glanced down at the orange tabby cat rubbing around his ankles, bending to pet Miss Cuddlekinz’ head in greeting. It was almost eight, way past the usual time he liked to be home, but he didn’t really get a say of how long he’d have to stay in court. He’d barely been inside the apartment for a solid minute when he heard shrill buzzing down the hallway.

“I hear my Baby Bee!” Spot laughed and approximately two seconds later a tiny blonde blur in a princess nightgown slammed into his side in a hug.

“Daddy!” Brooklyn grinned, “Daddy, Daddy Daddy!”

“Brooklyn, Brooklyn, Brooklyn!” Spot mimicked, lifting his daughter onto his hip. “Why are you not in bed, Baby Bee?”

Brooklyn giggled, wrapping her arms around Spot’s neck as he carried her back into her bedroom down the hall, smirking to find his husband pouting where he was lying on Brooklyn’s bed, storybooks in hand.

“Oh, am I interruptin’ somethin’?” Spot teased, sitting Brooklyn down on her bed next to Race, who snorted at his husband.

“You are, actually. All our bedtime progress has been destroyed, I hope you’re happy.” Race teased, and Spot feigned offense.

“Guess I’ll just go back to work then, sorry for messin’ with _bedtime_.”

Brooklyn bounced on the bed, reaching for Spot. “Noooo Daddy! You gotta stay! Papa tell ‘im!”

Spot laughed, letting his daughter pull him onto her tiny twin bed, sitting next to where Race was laying, leaning over to kiss Race’s forehead as Brooklyn wrapped herself around Spot’s shoulders.

“You heard her, Daddy.” Race said with a grin.

“Fine fine,” Spot said, pulling Brooklyn around to sit in front of him. “I’m stayin’. You convinced me.”

Brooklyn giggled, still bouncing. “Did you win t’day Daddy?” she asked, “Did the judge like you?”

“‘Course he did,” Spot assured her, “I think we’re real close to winnin’, thanks for askin’, sweetheart.”

Brooklyn grinned, reaching for Race’s arm as she flopped down on the bed. “Guess what we did t’day!” she said, and Spot smirked, running a hand through Brooklyn’s blonde curls.

“What’d ya do?” he asked, even though he already knew. Race and Jack had taken the kids to the planetarium for the afternoon for a laser show and family day activities. Race had sent Spot pictures earlier of all the kids doing the activities and crafts.

“Went to the planets!!” Brooklyn exclaimed, “We saw the moon, an’ Mars, an’ Jupiter, an’ Saturn, that one’s got rings! But they’s made of _ice_ Daddy, isn’t that cool??” Spot grinned as Brooklyn rattled off her newfound astronomy facts, before tugging him to lie down next to her and Race.

“Look!” Brooklyn pointed at the ceiling, Spot’s gaze following her hand as he laid next to her, half his body hanging off her twin mattress. “Papa put up m’ stars!” She smiled and looked up at the glow-in-the-dark in awe. “See ‘em Daddy?”

Spot looked up at the pretty sparkly plastic stars stuck to the ceiling above Brooklyn’s bed and smiled. “They’re very cool, Bee.” Spot told her.

“Turn off the light!” Brooklyn said, “I wanna see ‘em glow!”

Spot obeyed, turning off the lamp on Brooklyn’s bedside table and surely enough, the stars glowed on the ceiling.

“Wow,” Brooklyn whispered, snuggling tight between her dads, her arms hooked around one of theirs. “Lookit.”

Race smiled, turning to kiss Brooklyn’s head. “I’m glad ya like the stars, Brookie.” he told her.

“I love ‘em,” Brooklyn said, and both Spot and Race recognized the sleepiness in her tone. “They’re _glowin’_ , Papa, look.”

“I see ‘em baby,” Race said softly. “You ready to go to sleep now?”

Brooklyn shook her head. “No, I just wanna look at m’ stars for a bit.”

“Okay,” Race told her, “Me an’ Daddy will come check on ya in a lil’ while.”

“Stay,” Brooklyn insisted, “Stay an’ look at m’ stars.”

Spot and Race made eye contact over their daughter, who’s gaze was still fixed on the glowing plastic stars.

“We can look at ya stars as long as ya want.” Spot promised, moving his arm around Brooklyn’s shoulders so she snuggled into his side while she hugged Race’s hand tightly to her chest. They stayed like that for a while, the three of them squished onto Brooklyn’s twin bed, staring at the stars on her ceiling, until the little seven year old fell asleep between them. One of her arms was clutching tight around Race’s hand, her other fist grasping at Spot’s shirt as she cuddled close to him. Neither man dared move and wake her, so they stayed lying next to their little girl, staring up at her stars.

  
~*~

After Brooklyn was sound asleep, Spot and Race were finally able to untangle themselves from her little grasp and had a few hours to themselves. Spot ate some leftovers, they talked about their days, and settled on their couch to watch TV for a while.

“I’m so sick’a this case, Racer,” Spot sighed wrapping his arm around his husband’s shoulders as they leaned into one another. “I’s been in court all week an’ it feels like it’s for nothin’.”

“It’s ya job, baby,” Race reminded, “You said you was close to bein’ closed.”

“Yeah, but I ain’t _winning._ Ain’t no way I’m walkin’ away from this successful.”

Race shrugged. “You get paid either way, you’ll get ‘em next time, you’ll have a stronger case.”

Spot sighed, nodding. “You’re right. Thanks,” he kissed Race’s cheek, resting his head against Race’s. “I’m just ready to get outta this firm,” he said next, “My boss is an idiot, I don’t get to make the calls I wanna make an’ it’s frustratin’.”

“I know,” Race agreed. He hesitated, taking Spot’s hand in his. “That’s why you’re thinkin’ so seriously ‘bout Boston, right?”

Spot nodded. “Yeah. I mean...bein’ a partner is way different than bein’ an attorney. I’d have a lot more freedom to make my schedule an’ pick my cases…” he shrugged. “It’d be a game changer.”

Race gave him a smile. “It sounds like it’d be great for ya.”

“Yeah,” Spot said with a nod. “It really would be.”

Race hesitated again, glancing down the hall toward Brooklyn’s bedroom door with artwork taped to it and stickers littered around it.

“You think it’d be great for all of us?” Race asked, and Spot’s expression fell a little.

“Whaddya mean?” he questioned. “I thought you said you’d be open to it?”

“I mean, I am,” Race insisted carefully, “But...Bee’s so happy here. We’re so happy here. I know ya job is frustratin’, an’ sometimes money is tight, but does it really matter if we’s got our friends an’ family ‘round?”

Spot kissed Race’s temple, holding him close. “Nah,  it don’t matter. It’s not that at all, Tony. But if I know I can be doin’ more, an’ give you an’ Bee more, I wanna do it, ya know?”

Race nodded into his husband’s shoulder. “I know. But I’m happy just as we are. I don’t need more ‘n what we got.”

Spot wanted to agree, but he knew it’d be half-hearted. He wanted to be able to afford everything his daughter could possibly want. He wanted to be able to travel and take her new places, and be able to put away for college for her someday. He didn’t want them to stress about money or space or transportation in the city. He wanted his family to live as comfortably as possible, even if it meant leaving the only home they’d ever known to do it.

“Just…” Race kissed Spot’s jaw, leaning against him lovingly. “Just think about it, okay? About what we really want. An’ how it ain’t gonna be easy to tell Bee she’s gotta leave her cousins.”

Spot smirked, shaking his head a little. “No it ain’t,” he sighed. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, yeah?”

Race nodded. “Yeah.”

“I was thinkin’ ‘bout takin’ you an’ Bee with me next time I go down there,” Spot mentioned after a minute. “Jordan wants me to meet wit’ him in a few weeks for an interview with his other partners. We can explore the area, maybe check out some houses, see if ya like it down there too? An’ then we make a decision.”

Race grinned. “I’d like that.”

“Yeah?” Spot pressed his nose to Race’s.

“Yeah,” Race closed the gap between them, kissing Spot’s lips softly. “We can make it a vacation.”

“Sounds good to me,” Spot agreed, “I’ll let ya know when I get the dates.”

Race smiled, snuggling closer into him as Spot scrolled through their DVR, which was mostly full of kids cartoons for Bee.

“Don’t delete that!” Race stopped him quickly, “Delete one of our shows. I’ll never hear the end of it if we don’t got the entirety of Sofia The First on here.”

Spot snorted but obliged, deleting older shows to free up space and finally settled on a crime show for them to watch. Race lasted about fifteen minutes in before he fell asleep on his husband’s shoulder.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and so the plot thickens... now we've seen Spot's thoughts on Boston!
> 
> Brooklyn Dawn Higgins-Conlon is the most precious and you can't change my mind. 
> 
> next chapter (because many expressed concern over this) WILL be Katherine's fun Thursday with the kids!!
> 
> Who wrote it? Grace or Disney?


	6. Libraries and Smoothies and Pajama Parties, oh my!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katherine has her day with the kids, and Spot ponders an important question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to Mags and Pigeon!! "Sprace Queen" Grace _did_ write last chapter!!

“Peter Francis, slow down!” Katherine called ahead. Her oldest kept racing up ahead while her two youngest kept getting distracted by people and objects around them.

 _Is it any wonder who they take after?_ she thought, waving Corey back to her side.

He stopped, wheeled around, and honest-to-goodness _pouted_ out her. “ _Mom_. Come on, you said we’d be there by ten, and it’s—” Pete twisted his wrist to look at the watch he’d gotten for his last birthday and made a strangled noise. “—nine-fifty- _four_!”

“I _know_ ,” Katherine tried to say soothingly as they finally caught up with him. “The subway took a bit longer than I thought. How about this—you stop running so far ahead, and we’ll stay an extra fifteen minutes, okay?”

Pete chewed his lip a moment, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “O _kay_ ,” he said, a bit sullenly, falling into step with them.

She reached over to ruffle his hair a bit. “Thank you, kiddo. And don’t worry, they’ll still have the reading challenge charts when we get there, they always have plenty.”

Jack was at work, so Katherine was taking the kids to the library. Pete had been doing the reading challenges practically since he was old enough to read by himself. He managed to keep track of how many books he read every summer and was determined to top that number every year.

A voice, sounding suspiciously like her husband, spoke up in the back of her mind. _Gee, wonder where_ he _gets that from, huh Ace?_

“Mama! Are we gonna see Brooklyn and Uncle Tony at the library?” Lucy asked, swinging their joined hands and skipping.

“We should, Luce. Uncle Tony said they’d be here—Corey! Come on, bud, we’re going to leave you behind!” she added, as Corey stopped to study something in the sidewalk.

“ _Yeah,_ Corey, c’ _mon_ ,” Pete said, shoving Corey’s shoulder.

Corey shoved him back. “ _C’mon_ , _Pete,_ ” he mimicked, receiving another push from his brother.

“Hey, not by the street!” Katherine said, silently thanking whoever was listening that they were only a block from the library.

With another couple of shoves, the boys obliged, and they made it to the library unscathed.

“Okay—whoa, Pete, hold on. Before you go running off, what are the rules?” Katherine asked as they stood just outside the children’s section.

“Stay in this section and don’t wander off,” Pete rattled off, and Corey and Lucy nodded.

“And…?”

Pete pouted a bit— _That’s_ twice _this morning_ —and said, grudgingly, “Ten books only.”

“There you go. Okay, I’ll be right over in that chair if you need me, all right?” She’d barely gotten the sentence out before Pete was already wheeling around to stand in line to sign up for the reading challenges.

Lucy tugged on her hand again. “ _Momma_ , when is Brooklyn gonna get here?”

Katherine brushed back the dark hair that had escaped Lucy’s ponytail and said, “I don’t know, honey. Why don’t you go find some books while you wait for her to get here? Maybe another pirate book?” she suggested, knowing her daughter’s inexplicable love for pirates might buy her some time.

Brightening at that, Lucy skipped off to look for pirate books, leaving Katherine with Corey, who looked up at her balefully.

“Do I _have_ to get a book?” he asked, with only the barest hint of a whine. Two years back, they’d found out Corey had dyslexia, and, even though he’d improved since, both she and Jack working with him on it, it still wasn’t his favorite thing to do.

Squatting a little to look Corey in the eye, she asked, “Can you find one book? I know they have those graphic novels you like, maybe they have one you haven’t read yet?” Corey still looked unsure, so Katherine added, “Just one book? You don’t have to try the reading challenge if you don’t want to, but we have to keep up your reading, okay?”

Corey sighed. “Yeah, okay…”

“Thank you, bud.” With all three kids looking for books, she sat down and pulled out her phone to text Race about meeting them in the library.

_Kath: Are you here? Lucy’s been asking when she’d get to see B all morning._

_Race: shit. forgot_

_Race: annie’s sick_

_Race: teaching al’s class_

_Race: spot took a half day, he’ll meet u n kids_  

> >>For god’s sake, Anthony, you are married and have a kid, stop texting like—

“Hey, Kathy.”

Jumping, Katherine whirled around to see Spot standing behind her. “ _God,_ Spot, wear a bell before you sneak up on someone!”

A passing librarian carrying a stack of books shot her a semi-dirty look at her volume and shushed her, just like in the movies.

Smirking, Spot sat in the chair next to her. “Yeah, Kath’rine, keep ya voice down.”

She smacked his arm. “I would if you wouldn’t _sneak up on me_.”

“Hey, you’s been livin’ in New York _how long_ an’ ya ain’t figured out how ta look out for unsav’ry characters like me? That’s on you, Plumber.”

Katherine rolled her eyes. “Where’s Bee? Lucy’s been asking about her all morning.”

Spot waved his hand. “Yeah, we ran inta her already. Ya’d think it’s been years since they’d seen each other the way they started huggin’ an’ goin’ on.”

“Well, those are our girls—dramatic if nothing else.”

“Sure is.”

They sat a moment while Katherine finished her next to Race, berating him for his texting habits—a losing battle if she ever saw one, almost as bad as getting him to stop drinking so much espresso—before they sat in companionable silence until she asked what she’d been dying to ask him about for almost a month.

“So… I hear Boston is nice this time of year,” she tried to say casually.

Half-groaning and half-laughing, Spot rolled his eyes. “Kath, you an’ I ain’t never been the subtle type, no reason ta start now.”

Katherine shook her head, laughing too. “ _Fine_. What’s this whole Boston deal?”

He shrugged. “What’s there ta know? Guy I useta work wit’ called me up a month ago an’ asked if I wanted to work f’r him, said he’d started his own firm, an’ wanted me ta come on board.”

“And…?” Katherine prompted when he paused. “You said you would?”

“Not then. Act’ally turned him down flat the first time.”

“But now you’re considering it?”

Spot shrugged again. “Couldn’t get it outta m’head. Pay raise, partner guaranteed, small ‘nough that they really give their clients the attention they need.” He ran a hand through his hair. “So’s I met wit’ him. Went down a couple’a weeks back, met Jordan in his office.”

Katherine curled a leg under her in the chair. “And how are you feeling about all of that? How’d the meeting go?”

“I feel…” Spot floundered a moment before sighing. “I feel really good ‘bout it, Kathy. It ain’t gonna be easy, pullin’ our life from here and movin’ ta Boston, but it’ll good f’r us.”

“Well,” Katherine reached for his arm, squeezing gently. “We’ll miss you. A lot. But… it sounds amazing, Sean.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah! It sounds perfect for you, and Boston’s not _that_ far,” she reasoned, squeezing his arm again before letting go. “When do you move down? I know Jack and I will want to help, and we owe you all those babysitting hours from our move.”

“Well,” Spot rubbed his fingers against the material of the chair absently. “It ain’t… exactly final yet.”

Katherine blinked in surprise. “Really? The way you were talking made it sound pretty set in stone.”

“I dunno… Racer’s still not sure ‘bout the whole thing. He says he is, but I can tell he ain’t crazy ‘bout the whole thing. An’ we ain’t even told Bee yet.”

She winced inwardly. That wouldn’t be an easy conversation—not to mention the one she and Jack would have with their kids. But this wasn’t about her.

“When are the two of you going to tell her?”

Spot sighed. “Soon? Jordan wants me ta come meet the other partners in a week or so, an’ me and Racer are thinkin’ ‘bout lookin’ for houses around the area, an’ we wanna take Bee wit’ us.”

“Well—”

“Mom, I found a book,” Corey said, materializing next to her. Perking up when he saw Spot, he grinned. “Hi, Uncle Sean!”

“Hey, kiddo.” Spot accepted the hug Corey gave him, clapping him on the back. “How are ya?”

“‘m okay. Mom’s makin’ me _read_ this summer.” Corey made a face, and Spot laughed.

“What, ya don’t like reading?”

Corey scuffed the carpet with his shoe. “It’s harder for me than otha’ kids,” he muttered, and Katherine rubbed his shoulder.

Spot leaned forward a bit. “C’n I tell ya a secret, Core?” With wide eyes, Corey nodded solemnly and Spot lowered his voice. “Readin’ was pretty hard f’r me too, when I was your age.”

“Really?” Corey said in an awed whisper.

“Yep.” Spot nodded. “But it just takes a lil’ practice, an’ it gets a lil’ easier an’ a lil’ easier. Kinda like wit’ ya drawin’s. Don’t’cha draw betta’ now than ya did last year?” Corey nodded. “It’s cause ya keep practicin’.”

Frowning a bit, Corey rubbed his neck in a manner Katherine could _swear_ he learned from Jack.

“What’re you thinking, there, bud?” she asked him.

“I think I’ll get another book. Can ya hold this one for me?” He held out the book to her.

“Yeah, of course.” They watched Corey scurry back to the graphic novels to find another book.

“Damn, he even _walks_ like Jackie, that’s terrifyin’,” Spot said.

“Right?” Katherine laughed. “Pete ended up just like me—” she said as they watched her oldest stagger by with a stack of books bigger than he was. “—and Corey’s all Jack.”

“What about Luce?” Spot nodded to the girl in question, giggling with his own daughter over a book.

She shook her head. “Lucille is in a category _all_ her own.”

~*~

Spot and Katherine decided to take the kids to a coffee shop a block down from the library, where Race would pick up Brooklyn after his class and Spot could go back to work.

It was nice, Spot thought, as Brooklyn and Lucy skipped on either side of Katherine, swinging their hands and Corey and Pete tested Katherine’s limits by chasing each other around the sidewalk, getting to spend the morning with Kathy and the kids.

Jack and Katherine had their system, Kath could get off once or twice and get a day with the kids, but Spot didn’t have that freedom. Even getting this half day had been difficult, even though he’d wrapped up in court—losing, like he’d thought, but getting his client a better deal than they thought they might—and was still doing preliminary paperwork on his next case.

 _‘Nother reason Boston’d be better_ , he thought, catching Corey before he barreled into a lady walking a ridiculously small dog.

Scooping Corey up into a fireman’s lift, Spot barely paused as he kept walking.

Squirming, he giggled. “Uncle _Sean_! Let! Me! Down!”

Katherine turned her head to look back at them. “Spot, what are you doing to my child?”

“Nothin’. Just parentin’ ya kid.”

“Okay, keep him in one piece then, that’s all I ask,” she said with a laugh, steering the girls into the Starbucks.

Spot let Corey down inside the door, the kid swaying a little at suddenly being upright again.

“ _Whoa_!” he giggled.

“Whoa!” Spot parroted back, laughing. “Ya good there, kid?”

“Yeah, ‘m good. Mom, can I have lemonade?”

“No smoothie?” Katherine asked. Corey shook his head. “Okay, bud. Pete? Smoothie?”

Pete looked up from his library bag, where he was trying to decide which book to read first. “Uhm… yeah. Mango.”

“Okay, boys, want to find us a table?”

“Yeah!” Corey grabbed Pete’s hand and dragged him across the shop.

“ _God_ , I need coffee,” Spot muttered, scrubbing a hand down his face as the boys went to pick out a table.

“Momma lets me drink coffee sometimes!” Lucy said, bouncing on her toes.

Spot raised an eyebrow at Katherine, who rolled her eyes slightly and made air quotes behind Lucy’s head and mouthed “ _coffee_ ”. “Sometimes, Luce, but only on special occasions, right? So which smoothie do you want, baby?”

Lucy pouted, looking like she might start arguing with Katherine, but gave in, muttering, “Strawberry.”

“Me too!” Brooklyn said, hanging off Spot’s arm.

“Alrigh’ one strawberry smoothie f’r Miss Bee.” He winced as his arm was twisted in an odd angle. Their girl weighed next to nothing, but was already shooting up faster than Spot or Race had expected, and was already up to the middle of Spot’s ribcage, so this monkey routine she had was starting to put a strain on his limbs.

“Why don’t you an’ Lucy go sit with Pete an’ Corey?” Spot suggested, breathing a sigh of relief when she let go to grab Lucy’s hand and run to the table, where Pete was already digging into the bag of books and Corey was poking his tongue out as he carefully removed the wrapper from his straw.

Straightening, Spot rolled his shoulder, looking over at Kath, who wasn’t doing anything to hide a smile. “What’cha smirkin’ at, Plumber?”

Katherine couldn’t get out the sentence without laughing. “She’s going to be taller than you one of these days and I can’t _wait_.”

He rolled his eyes. Race teased him about that every time they measured Brooklyn. “At least ‘m not givin’ my kid _coffee_ —that why Lucy’s so short? Ya know coffee stunts ya growth.”

She cocked her eyebrow at him. “It does? And… when did you start drinking coffee?”

Spot groaned. “Yeah, alright, I set myself up f’r that one…”

Across the room, the girls had squished in one side of the booth, the boys in the other. Pete had picked a book and was already tearing through it.

“Hey, Brooklyn, are you an’ ya dads goin’ somewhere?” Corey asked, scrunching his straw wrapper as small as he could to make a worm.

She shrugged. “I dunno, why?”

“Mom an’ Uncle Sean was talkin’ like you guys was  goin’ someplace.”

“Where?”

It was Corey’s turn to shrug. “Dunno.”

“Well—” A straw wrapper suddenly hit Bee’s cheek, and she turned with wide eyes to stare at Lucy, who was holding her straw and grinning.

“It. Is. On.” Bee scrambled to get out of the booth to grab more straws.

“Whoa!” Spot stopped Brooklyn before she could slide out. “Nothin’s on now, we got smoothies, scootch, missy.” Brooklyn pouted up at him, but moved back, accepting her drink. “Alrigh’, strawberry smoothies f’r Luce and Bee—”

“—Mango for Pete, lemonade for Corey, and… a cup of _sugar_ for Spot.” Katherine made a face as she handed Spot his ice coffee.

“Better’n ya stupid _hot_ coffee, Kathy, it’s somethin’ like eighty-five out, how c’n ya drink that?” Spot asked, wrinkling his nose at the hot to-go cup in Katherine’s hand.

Katherine rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to say something before they were interrupted.

Race slid into the booth, sliding right up against Brooklyn. “How’s m’favorite girl?” he asked, grinning.

“Uncle Tony!” Lucy squealed, raising up on her knees.

“ _Papa_! You’s squishin’ me!” Bee giggled, trying to push him away, to no avail. When Race kept pushing back, she climbed in Spot’s lap, trying to get away from him.

Spot grunted, catching a knee in his stomach. “Hi, babe.”

Race winced a little—their daughter was notoriously bony—and leaned over to kiss Spot’s cheek. “Sorry,” he muttered. Louder, he said, “Hey, Baby Bee! Didja have fun with Daddy?”

“ _So_ much fun! I got _five_ books!” Brooklyn seemed content to stay in Spot’s lap as she talked to her Papa.

“ _Five_? You gots lots ta read then, don’t’cha?”

“Yeah!”

“I got five, too!” Lucy interjected, unwilling to be left out of the conversation.

“Wow, we got a couple’a bookworms, don’t we?”

Spot watched Race talk with the kids a moment before his phone buzzed with his half-hour warning to get back to work.

“I gotta get back to work,” Spot said, looking at the time. “Josh said he wanted me back ‘fore noon, the ba—” he stopped at the pointed look Katherine gave him, and remembered the kids around him. “—ba… Bambi-hater?”

Kathy face-palmed and Race snorted. “Nice one, Spotty.”

Spot rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, well scoot Bambi-hater, I gotta go ta work.”

Brooklyn suddenly stopped whatever imaginary game she was playing with Lucy and Corey when the conversation turned to adult stuff, and looked up with big, sad eyes. “D’ya hafta, Daddy?”

“Yeah, _mami_ , I do. But, then I get to come home and ya can tell me all the fun stuff ya did with Papa, okay?”

“What’re we gonna do, Papa?” Brooklyn leaned around Spot to ask.

“Let’s see…” Race pulled an exaggerated face. “Well, we’s gotta talk ta Mrs. Menken first, an’ then we’s got the rest’a the afternoon for all kinds’a fun!”

“Wait, why’s ya gotta talk ta the landlady?” Spot asked.

Race waved a hand. “Nothin’ big, ya demon cat gotta hold’a the intercom, she said she could fix it, but we’s gotta go now. Mind if we ditch ya, Kath?”

“No, that’s fine, I have to get these hooligans home and fed anyways,” Katherine said.

Corey perked up. “Ooh! Mom, can we have mac an’ cheese for lunch?”

Spot and Race both burst out laughing, to the kid’s confusion and Katherine’s annoyance.

“You _promised_ you’d never bring that up again—” she said warningly.

Race raised his hands in defense, doing nothing to hide his laughter. “We didn’t bring it up, Kath, you did.”

“I did _not_ —”

“Wait…” Of course, _now_ Pete put the book down. “What are they talking about?”

“Nothing,” Katherine said quickly. “Your uncles are just being silly and you should never ever listen to them.”

Lucy’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “Ever?”

“Well—”

“Ya mom’s just embarrassed ‘bout somethin’ that happened ‘fore you guys were born,” Spot explained. “Maybe we’ll tell ya the story one day.”

“Yeah, but that’s not today, so how about we go?” Katherine was already picking up her purse and gathering her coffee cup.

Lucy grabbed Brooklyn’s hand and pouted. “But—”

“We’ll walk with ya to the subway, Luce, don’t gotta say goodby just yet,” Race promised, sliding out of the booth to let Spot and the girls out.

“YAY!” Lucy cheered, jumping up and down with Bee.

“Pete, honey, come on. Get your smoothie,” Katherine said to Pete, who had gone back to reading after finding their conversation boring.

“Mm-hmm…”

“Byyyeee Daddy!” Brooklyn said, throwing her arms around Spot.

“Bye Honeybee.” He hugged her back. “I’ll see ya when I get home, alrigh’?”

She tilted her head up, chin on his stomach. “Before bedtime?” she asked hopefully.

Spot rubbed his hands on her arms. “I’ll try, baby. We’ll see, okay?”

“Okay!” Bee let go, satisfied with that answer.

Straightening, Spot kissed Race goodbye, hugged the kids one more time—well, clapped Pete’s shoulder, since the kid was still reading—hugged Katherine, and broke away from them at the door, Kath, Race and the kids headed for the subway, Spot going back to get his car.

As he walked back to his car, Spot wondered, not for the first time, if Boston would really be better, if maybe he should try for a different job in the city. He hated moving, him and Race both, and he already saw so little of Jack an’ Kathy an’ the guys—moving a state away definitely wouldn’t help…

_Stop it. Ya ain’t accepted yet, ya just gonna see the place. An’ this would be a good thing for ya an’ Racer an’ Bee…_

_Right?_

~*~

After smoothies with Spot, Race, and Bee—and cleaning up the many straw wrappers littered around their table—Katherine wrangled her three kids back onto the train and made it back home with no further problems.

She made macaroni and cheese— _yes_ , Tony, she can make it without burning down the kitchen, and she didn’t even burn the kitchen down, just started a teeny tiny microwave fire—while Pete stacked his books, arranging them in order of which he’d read first, and Corey and Lucy attempted to help in the kitchen.

(...her children may or may not have inherited her abilities in the kitchen)

Lucy gasped, very suddenly—and very dramatically—and dropped her fork in her bowl. “Momma, guess what I saw at the library today?!”

“What did you see?” Katherine asked, laughing a little at her daughter’s dramatics.

“T’morrow, they’s gonna have read in ya pajamas day at the library! Ya wear ya pajamas an’ ya go read! C’n _we_ do that?” she asked, bouncing in her chair.

Reaching over to wipe away a smudge of cheese off Lucy’s cheek, Katherine said, “Maybe, honey, but you’ll have to ask Daddy, I have to go back to work tomorrow.”

Lucy shook her head quickly, ponytail whipping from side to side. “No! Like _right now_ , can we read with _you_ in our pajamas f’r quiet time!”

Katherine nodded, smiling a little. “You know what? That sounds like fun. What do you think, boys?”

It took the boys a little convincing—Pete, to change into pajamas and Corey to actually read—but soon enough, the four of them were camped out in the living room, Lucy drowsily flipping through her pirate book in the recliner, Pete with his feet dangling over the armchair with some book about dragons or wizards or… something, she forgot all the books he got, and she and Corey on the couch, Katherine half-working on an article due later that week, half-helping Corey with his reading.

Corey lifted his head from her lap, where he was carefully tracing the words in his book with his finger, mouthing the words, to look at Katherine. “Mom?”

She looked down at him over her glasses. “Yeah, bud? Need help?”

He shook his head. “Nah. Just wanted ta say somethin’.”

“What’s that?”

Twisting so he could wrap an arm around her stomach, Corey grinned at her. “Had a good day wit’cha.”

Katherine thought her heart might burst right out of her chest. She didn’t get as much time with the kids, not like Jack, so any day with them was a good day to her.

Knowing they felt the same just… filled her heart.

Leaning down so she could kiss his forehead, Katherine said, “Yeah? Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lucy's "coffee" is a teaspoon of coffee and milk, but it makes her feel so grown up, so it's a thing she and Kath do on special occasions.
> 
> Pete gets your typical "preteen" books, anything fantasy, and really anything that catches his eye, Corey gets graphic novel books (think along the lines of _Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Captain Underpants,_ anything like that, Lucy's in an _Eyewitness_ book phase right now, and Bee likes any book that has a ballerina in it.
> 
> probably more than you want to know, but here we are :D
> 
> Who wrote it? Grace or Disney?


End file.
